Authorities in India are investigating search giant Google for alleged violation of competition rules after it asked users for information about their local areas for use on Google Maps.

Authorities in India are investigating search giant Google for alleged violation of competition rules after it asked users for information about their local areas for use on Google Maps.

Police in the country are probing Google's Mapathon contest, which it ran in February and March, but Google claims that it did not break any laws when asking for the data.

The complaint against Google was made by Survey of India, the national survey and mapping agency, which said that the contest was not only illegal, but could threaten national security.

Google has been expanding its Maps service over recent years, sending staff to remote parts of the world. The Mapathon contest was designed to create better maps of India, with Google offering prizes of tablets, smartphones and gift vouchers to the top 1,000 suppliers of map information.

Google said it takes security and national regulations very seriously, but stated that the Mapathon adhered to applicable laws. Spokesperson Paroma Roy Chowdhury said the company is open to discussing the concerns with the authorities.